


Giant!Dan

by Mothy



Category: Game Grumps, youtube - Fandom
Genre: AU, Alternate Universe, Angst, Fluff, G/T, Game Grumps AU, Gen, Giant/Tiny, No shipping, Size Difference, YouTube Fanfiction, giant!dan, not so giant giant, the ships will not be sailing in this fic
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-10-23
Updated: 2016-10-12
Packaged: 2018-04-27 16:55:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 5
Words: 12,248
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5056441
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Mothy/pseuds/Mothy
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A Game Grumps AU where Dan is actually a giant.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Fateful Meetings and Shit

**Author's Note:**

> This is my first time posting a fic on AO3 so forgive me if I've made some technical errors. Also, I know this idea is a little weird but please bear with me. And again I feel like I should reiterate that there are no pairings here.
> 
> Thanks for reading, I hope you enjoy <3

The nights were getting colder, and Daniel knew he couldn't survive like this for much longer. He hadn't had anything to eat for several days and water only occasionally. It was getting harder and harder to wake up, get up. Harder to move. To live. Danny had never believed in hell, but now he was certain this was it.

Somehow, despite it all, he managed to push on. He never stopped moving except to sleep or rest briefly. That was his life. Forever traveling, avoiding all human populations as much as possible. It was a lonely existence. He couldn't afford drawing attention to himself. 

It wasn't fair. It's not like he could stop being who he was. Or rather, what he was. Being a giant was not easy, and Danny was almost fourteen feet tall. Enough to scare most any human quite badly. So he avoided the more heavily occupied areas and stuck to the countryside. As the years passed, however, this became more difficult as cities grew and nature was gradually tamed. He was running out of options.

And now, on this chilly fall evening, he was soon to be forced into a human city in search of food and shelter. Danny spotted lights on the horizon as the sun began to set and headed there with a heavy heart. He waited until night had fallen completely and the world was cloaked in darkness before getting too close to the city. Experience had taught him that humans were more likely to dismiss glimpses of tall shadows and dark silhouettes as simply imaginary once the sun had disappeared. Unfortunately, the city he had come across was so brightly illuminated with artificial light Dan would have some trouble sneaking around. His sharp ears also picked up the sounds of busy streets and pedestrians. It seemed, even at night, this city was still very much awake.

Under any other circumstances, Danny would never have entered such a place. But he was desperate. Luckily, he was skilled in stealth and managed to avoid the busiest areas of the city. Dan made sure to stick close to the shadows and used alleyways and dark streets to get around. After the initial anxiety he felt at being in a human city settled somewhat, he started his search in earnest. It seemed the trash (which was plentiful there, actually) seemed to be his best bet, despite the thought of consuming someone's tossed out leftovers made his stomach turn. Daniel turned down a particularly dark alleyway, mentally preparing himself to go dumpster diving. Two tall, old apartment buildings loomed over him on both sides, making him feel small. It was a strange, rarely experienced feeling for him, but not an unwelcome one. 

A sudden hissing sound startled him as a black shape streaked passed his legs, darting out into the street. He sighed in relief. Just a cat. His stomach let out a low grumble, reminding him of why he was there in the first place. Continuing down the alley, Dan stopped once he reached the end. He crouched down, slowly lifting the lid of one of the large, and heavily graffitied, dumpsters. The smell that wafted up from within its dark confines had Danny gagging. But he reached inside anyway. He needed to eat something. He felt like his stomach was going to collapse in on itself if he didn't eat something soon. 

After digging through garbage for what seemed like an age, Dan's efforts still hadn't paid off. He'd found what may have been edible, once upon a time, but nothing he could even bear to consider consuming. He wasn't that desperate. Not yet anyway. 

Dan's search became more and more frustrated. His movements became more erratic as he felt his face heat up and his heart pound faster. Suddenly, he cried out, a flash of pain lighting up his hand. Dan quickly withdrew his arm, examining the damage. Something sharp had sliced open the palm of his right hand. Warm blood was running down his arm. Dan felt hot tears well up and grit his teeth, trying to stifle his angry sobs. Stumbling back against the brick wall, he slid down until he hit the ground, burying his face in his knees. Danny's shoulders shook as he cried, unable to stop while the world around him seemed to crumble.

It wasn't long before someone heard him.

~~~~Arin POV~~~~

Arin was making his way home after working all day at the studio. It had been a long recording session and he was beat. Normally, he would have driven too and from the grump space, but that morning he'd felt like a good walk would be a pleasant change. The day had been unusually nice and Arin had been full of energy. Now, he regretted his decision somewhat as he walked down the darkened streets. The night air was rather chilly, and the shadows unnerving. 

But he pressed on, humming a tune to keep his mind from imagined spooks in the dark. Arin kept his pace brisk, eager to get back to his apartment. In the heavy quiet of the night, however, his keen ears picked up a sound he simply could not ignore. The sound of someone crying.

Falling silent, Arin slowed to a stop as he approached the area the sounds were coming from. The plaintive sobs drifted from the opening of a particularly dark and unpleasantly creepy alleyway. 

'Shit,' Arin thought. 'This is not good. This is not gonna end well for me'

He swallowed nervously. Peering into the alley, Arin tried to make out what was in the shadows. For a moment, he hovered on the brink of indecision, his body frozen in a pivotal moment of action. Uncertain, and not a little afraid, he made his choice.

Arin entered the alleyway to investigate.

"H- hello?" He called out tentatively. The crying stopped immediately, as though cut off. "Listen, if someone's here... Are you alright? Do you need help?"

Concerned he might have scared them off, Arin moved further into the shadows. As his eyes adjusted to the dark, Arin thought he spotted movement by one of the old dumpsters. Before he could take a look, however, he was interrupted by an unfamiliar voice.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Arin whipped around, his heart rate spiking. At the other end of the alley stood three men, blocking the way to the street. Blocking the way out. They were your typical thugs, taking themselves a bit too seriously with all the leather and buckles. Normally, they wouldn't concern Arin, but in this instance there were three of them, and they had him cornered, in a dark alley, with no one else around. Not good at all.

"Looks like we're gonna have some fun tonight, boys." The one in the middle spoke again, apparently the leader. He had a shit-eating grin on his face that spelled murder for Arin.

They approached him slowly, forcing him back. Arin held up a hand defensively, the other trying to subtly pull out his cellphone without being noticed.

"Woah, dudes, let's think about this for a second." He pleaded, trying to buy time. "You want money, yeah? Take whatever you want. I don't have a lot on me, but it's something."

The leader motioned with his head and before he knew it, the guy on his left rushed Arin, grabbing his arm. Arin immediately went to lay it on him with his other hand, but then the dude on his right pounced and had him in a vise-like grip. Arin lost his hold on his phone in the struggle and it fell to the earth with a clatter. He struggled in their clutches, but to no avail.

With that cruel smile ever present on his lips, the leader loomed over Arin, relishing the moment. 

"Oh, don't worry about that. We'll take your money. In due time. I just wanna play for a bit first." Then the man clenched his fist and planted it strait into Arin's gut, forcing the air from his lungs.

Arin gasped, doubling over as pain blurred the edges of his vision. The man rubbed his fist, preparing for another blow. Just as he was winding up, however, a sharp sound filled the area.

*BANG*

The sound, like something striking against metal, seemed to vibrate through them, echoing out into the street. It came from further within alleyway. An ominous, angry sound.

Arin was in too much pain to really pay much attention, but he did see the look on his attacker's face as he watched something emerge from the dark shadows behind them. It climbed over the dumpster, a black shape that grew bigger and bigger as it came closer. Looking over his shoulder to see what was happening, Arin's jaw dropped as his eyes eyes traveled up, and up and up, until they finally reached the face of what appeared to be an actual giant.

Could this night get any better?

~~~~back to Dan~~~~

In the midst of his despair, Dan didn't hear the sound of soft footsteps approaching. He didn't see the silhouette of a human standing in the street. Dan only became aware of another presence when he heard a voice call out.

"Hello?"

The stranger's voice filled Dan with dread. He immediately clamped his uninjured hand over his mouth, stifling his sobs. But the man was already curious, and he even sounded concerned as he spoke again.

"Listen, if someone's here, are you alright? Do you need help?"

He moved further into the alley, causing Danny to panic even more. Trying to move carefully even though he was shaking, Dan slowly scooted further back into the shadows. The human was checking the other side, so Dan took the opportunity to quickly dive for cover behind a dumpster. He landed on all fours, crouching like a frightened animal. Holding his breath, he waited.

He didn't have to wait long.

"Well, well, well, what do we have here?"

Danny heard this new, cold voice speak and couldn't help an involuntary shiver at the cruelty in it. His heart dropped as he heard the events unfolding just beyond him. It all happened so fast, but to Dan it felt like an eternity. A white hot anger was slowly replacing his fear. An anger at the injustice, the unfairness of the world. He'd had enough once he heard the first blow fall and the human who had been trying to help him gasp in pain. It was his fault the man was in this situation, he had to stop it.

Before he knew it, Dan had balled his fist and struck the nearest thing to him. He hit the dumpster with enough force to tilt it, almost tipping it over entirely. Everything fell silent after that. Dan pushed himself to his feet slowly, pulling himself over the dumpster to get at his targets. As he approached the small group, he watched their faces go from surprise, to shock, and to fear in just a few seconds. Dan straitened to his full height, causing the two men to release their victim and rapidly scramble back to their leader. Beyond that, however, they still stood their ground. Danny had hoped they would all simply flee at the sight of him.

He chanced a glance down at the man they had been terrorizing, who hadn't moved since they let him go. The human was staring at him in wide-eyed wonder, hardly a trace of fear in his expression. 

'That will change soon enough,' Dan thought grimly as he quickly turned back to the task at hand.

Taking slow, deliberate steps, Danny approached the three muggers. The leader looked like he was struggling with a desire to flee and an urge to fight. The mixed emotions writhing on his face made him look as though he were in extreme pain. Dan loomed over them, regarding them with disdain. Still moving slowly, he reached down and gripped the leader's shirtfront. With little effort, Dan hoisted him up into the air so they were practically nose-to-nose. The man gasped and struggled for a bit until his eyes were drawn into the depths of Dan's stare.

"Leave."

The command was quiet, but undeniably clear. He let go of the man's shirt, letting him fall to the earth without another word. The other two pulled him to his feet and then fled as fast as their trembling legs could carry them. Once again, all was silent.

His strength totally drained, Danny sunk to his knees. Heaving a huge sigh of relief, he tried to relax, letting the anger empty out of him like water down a drain. He was so exhausted from the entire event that Dan forgot about the one guy who still had not run away.

"Woah. That was... Wow."

Dan stiffened at the voice behind him. No no no, this was all wrong. He was supposed to run. They always ran. Why was he still here?

He heard footsteps coming closer, but didn't look up.

"Hey, man, you okay?"

A light touch brushed Dan's shoulder. He lashed out, shoving the man roughly. He didn't want to hurt him, he just wanted him to go away. But he misjudged his own strength. The push sent the man crashing into the hard brick wall. He collapsed there, disoriented.

Dan panicked. He scrambled to his feet, rushing over to his side.

"Shit shit shit, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to- shit I'm so sorry."

Reaching out to help, Dan hesitated. He wanted to see if the guy was alright, but what if he accidentally hurt him again? He ended up just hovering over him, worry and guilt plastered all over his features. 

The guy sat up, wincing in pain. But he smiled up at Dan. It was a rather pained sort of smile, but a smile none the less. Danny stared at him in shock, frozen like a deer in the headlights. 

"'S okay, dude. I'm totally fine." He spoke through gritted teeth, obviously in some pain. He was perfectly earnest, however, not a trace of sarcasm in his tone. 

The man stood, brushing himself off and sweeping his hair out of his eyes. Danny sat back on the ground, still staring in something approaching amazement. With him sitting and the other standing like that, they were actually close to the same height. They regarded each other for a moment. 

"I'm Arin," the man said, smiling again and sticking a hand out.

Dan drew back a little, eyes darting between Arin's face and the proffered hand. He had no idea what the hell was happening.

"It's a handshake. You're supposed to shake hands." Arin explained, sensing his confusion.

Hesitant at first, Dan slowly reached out. As his hand came closer to Arin's, he became aware of the size difference between them. It was staggering. His fingers closed around Arin's hand, but before they could in any way 'shake', Danny quickly withdrew his. A burning sensation in his palm was the cause. He had completely forgotten about the cut there.

The human, Arin, glanced down at his hand and saw the blood. He frowned in concern.

"You're hurt."

Dan cradled his hand against his chest defensively. "It's nothing."

Arin hummed doubtfully. Sticking his hands in his jacket pockets, he looked Dan up and down. By the expression on his face, Dan could tell he had just come to a decision.

"So, what's your name?"

"Why should I tell you?" Dan's eyes narrowed at him suspiciously.

"I told you mine," Arin said easily with another smile.

Every fiber of Dan's being screamed at him to get out of there. To not trust this man with anything. But there was something in the way he talked, the way he held himself, the way he didn't look at Dan as though he were a monster, that made him want to stay.

"It's Daniel," he finally conceded. "But, just call me Dan. I guess."

"Do you have anywhere to go, Dan?"

The question was so unexpected. Danny looked up sharply, meeting Arin's suddenly perfectly serious gaze. He was so surprised, Dan answered truthfully.

"No," he choked out the word, blinking back sudden tears.

"You should come by my place, then. I mean, it's nothing fancy, but I've got a first aid kit. I can at least fix up your hand."

Dan could hardly believe his ears. Surely he had heard wrong. There was no way this guy had just invited him back to his home. That was crazy. Absolutely insane. Doubt and suspicion filled Dan's mind.

"Why?" He asked flatly.

"Oh, I dunno, maybe 'cause you just saved my ass?" Arin laughed. "C'mon, lemme return the favor."

Dan was thinking about it when his stomach growled. It was ridiculously loud, reminding him of just how hungry he actually was.

"I also have food." Arin added with grin.

How could Danny say no to that?


	2. Patches and Conversations

Arin's apartment was nothing fancy, but it was nice in its own smallish way. It served its purpose, and Arin liked it. Unfortunately, it was not built for giant occupation. Their first challenge was getting Dan through the door. It was late, so Arin wasn't really worried about anyone seeing them, as long as they could manage it quietly. Dan, on the other hand, was a nervous wreak through the whole thing. He had never been inside a human dwelling, and he was certain he did not enjoy the experience. It was a tight squeeze, but luckily Dan was on the thin side despite his size, so he was able to wedge himself inside.

In the small living space, amongst Arin's furniture and somewhat sparse decor, Dan seemed even bigger than before. He dwarfed everything around him. He had to hunch down in order to avoid hitting his head on the ceiling. It was a little disconcerting. Arin wondered what he had gotten himself into.

Dan sulked in the center of the room. Looking anywhere but Arin. What had he gotten himself into? He was in a human's /home/ for fucks sake. Why? Why was he being so nice to him? There had to be an angle, or something. There was always a goddamn angle. Dan was suspicious, but he was also starving and exhausted and hurt. He wanted so badly to trust this guy. It was either take a chance or go back outside and most likely die a slow and painful death.

And he'd already made it this far, so what the hell?

"Make yourself at home," Arin said as he scooted around Dan's stiff form to move further into the apartment. Slipping his jacket off he tossed it on a nearby chair, spinning around again to face his guest. He swept his arms out, indicating the entirety of his humble abode.

"Mi casa es su casa," he declared in a terrible Spanish accent and a shit eating grin.

Dan relaxed a little at that genuine smile. Glancing around, he considered his options. There was an old couch against one wall and a couple of bean bags plopped in front of a large, flat screen tv. A gaming console sat close by, a mess of wires and controllers. Danny had no clue what these things were, but that didn't really bother him. Beyond Arin was the kitchen area and to the left was a hallway that led god knew where. Dan sure didn't. Arin probably knew, at least one would hope he did.

Afraid he might break something if he tried settle anywhere else, Dan opted to sit on the floor where he was standing.

"Thanks," he mumbled, still not quite meeting Arin's eyes.

And he meant it, too. He just wasn't able sum up the energy to better express his gratitude. A heavy exhaustion was gradually seeping into his bones and his mind was going all fuzzy. Dan started to zone out when Arin was suddenly stepping closer and speaking again.

"Lemme see your hand. I should probably take a look at it before anything else."

Dan stared at him for a moment, hesitant. The guy had such an expectant look on his face. And he was holding his hand out, waiting. It would be awkward now if he didn't do it.

With a little shrug, Dan slowly extended his arm. Arin gently cupped his injured hand in both his own and bent over it to get a better look. Biting his lip, Dan resisted the strong urge to pull away as soon as their skin touched. It was a strange feeling, having another person hold his hand like that. Like he was raw from lack of humanoid contact. It made his skin crawl. 

Plus, the cut was starting to sting again.

"It's a pretty nasty gash," Arin hummed, looking up at Dan again. "We'll have to clean it so it won't get infected. I have a first aid kit in the bathroom. C'mon, I'll patch you up."

He tugged on Dan's arm, leading him across the apartment. They made their way down the hall, to the first door on the left side. Arin pushed the door open, revealing the smallest room Dan believed he'd ever seen. It had just enough space for a bath and shower combo, a sink, and a toilet. That was it, but then, that was really all you needed for a bathroom. There was no way Dan was fitting in there. 

It took a bit of finagling, but they ended up with Dan outside, leaning against the door jam with his arm stretched out into the bathroom and over the tub. Arin then ran some hot water and began the process of cleaning out the cut. As he worked, he talked.

"Soooo, where're you from?"

Dan stared at him blankly for a few moments, trying to collect his thoughts. 

"Where are we, right now?" He asked slowly, his voice hoarse.

"LA," Arin glanced up at Dan only to get a blank look in response. "Los Angeles," nothing. "California?" Not even a glimmer of recognition. "The west coast," he tried, and Dan shifted a little. Dan frowned, thinking for a minute before shaking his head slightly.

"I dunno, somewhere far away, probably. I've been traveling for... A while now."

Arin nodded as he shut off the water, using a clean towel he started drying off Dan's arm and hand.

"You got any sorta destination in mind?"

Dan shook his head, "not any more."

"Any family?"

He got absolutely no response from Dan with this question. Not even a look or a twitch. A silence fell between them after that. Arin focused on his work, wondering if he should apologize. Pulling out a bottle of hydrogen peroxide, he eyed the giant for a moment before continuing. Dan seemed to be elsewhere. His eyes were glazed over in a distant expression.

"This might sting a little," Arin said, looking down again.

"Huh?" It didn't register with Dan what Arin had said until he was already sterilizing the wound. Dan gasped at the unexpected pain, his hand twitching a little. Arin glanced at him apologetically before using a cloth to dab away the excess liquid.

"Sorry," Arin murmured.

"No it's fine, just surprised me is all." Dan tried to assure him, laughing nervously.

"Not that. I'm sorry for the whole, twenty questions thing. It's none of my business."

"Oh," realization dawned on Dan, "Oooohhh, no no no that's totally fine. I'm the one who should be sorry. It's just... It's been a while. Since anyone's ever talked to me."

Arin smiled at him. He was wrapping up his hand now in some clean bandages. Already, Dan felt the pain begin to ebb away.

"You're out of practice," Arin stated mater-of-factly. "It's understandable."

"Yeah?" 

Arin nodded decisively, "of course. Communicating with people is hard under the best of circumstances."

As he spoke, Arin finished up fixing Dan's hand. He leaned back to examine his handiwork. Satisfied, he began to clean up the first aid kit. Dan pulled his hand back, flexing it experimentally. It felt good, now it could heal up properly. Dan smiled as he felt the carefully wrapped bandages.

"Thank you," he looked back up at Arin, sincerity written all over his features.

"No problem, man."

It was at that moment that Dan's stomach decided to let out a particularly loud growl. Dan immediately blushed and tried to stammer out an apology, but Arin waved it off, laughing good naturedly. 

"Hey, I promised you food, didn't I." He stood and edged around Dan, moving back into the hallway. "C'mon, let's see what I can put together."

Arin quickly made his way to the kitchen while Dan trailed behind him. He was actually starting to feel a little light headed, so he didn't want to pass out by moving too fast too suddenly. As he walked down the dim hallway, he noticed a few pictures hanging on the wall. There was one older looking photo that was taken on what appeared to be Christmas day of two boys tearing into presents under the tree. Another one was of a larger, more formal, family picture. The last one Dan looked at was of a group of young people making funny faces in front of a large building. He saw Arin amongst them, but didn't know who any of the others were.

He didn't spend too much time wondering about it, though, because by then he was in the kitchen and any other thoughts were immediately forgotten at the prospect of food. Arin was rummaging around in cupboards muttering to himself so Dan just carefully made his way over to the table. After considering the human sized chair for a solid moment, Dan opted to sit on the floor by the table instead.

"Fuck, I need to go to the store." Arin announced, emerging from the depths of the pantry with an apologetic glance at Dan. "Looks like we have bread, some other basic sandwich material, one box of cheez-its, and an apple."

He went to pick up the apple, but made a face as soon as he touched it. "Scratch that, make it one /moldy/ apple," he quickly tossed the offending fruit into the trash.

"I know it's not much, but do you have a preference?" He turned to Dan expectantly.

"Uh, a- a sandwich sounds, wonderful." Dan replied enthusiastically, hoping he didn't sound greedy or anything.

Arin nodded, quickly gathering a pack of bread, a jar of peanut butter, and some meat and cheese from the fridge, piling them all on the table.

"Okay, feel free to put whatever you want on it," he moved away again, distractedly searching for something else.

Dan immediately went to work building the biggest sandwich he possibly could. As long as it was edible, he didn't really care what was in it. He kept a curious eye on Arin while he did, watching him finally pull something victoriously down from a high shelf. It was a large, plastic water pitcher. He rinsed the dust out and then filled it with clean water.

"Here, how's this for a giant-sized cup?" He asked with a grin before setting it down at the table.

Dan's eyes went wide with wonder at Arin's thoughtfulness. He picked it up, slowly taking a sip. The pitcher was almost the exact right size for him, which almost felt strange to Dan. He wasn't used to feeling so... Normal.

Before he could think about it too much, however, Arin was talking again. It wasn't long before Dan was pulled into a conversation about travel, and then various kinds of wildlife, and then music. Just simple things. The two of them fell into a rhythm quite easily. Even when they occasionally fell silent again, it was no longer an awkward silence. Arin had opened the box of cheez-its while Dan continued to make sandwich after sandwich. It was a while before he finally started to slow down, his giant's stomach full at last. Dan couldn't remember the last time he'd had a meal that good.

Dan's eyes started to close on their own and he spaced out on their conversation for a moment. 

"I'd offer you my bed, but I think it might be too small."

"Hhm?" Dan jolted awake, blinking in confusion.

Arin chuckled, "c'mon, you can sleep in the living area."

He gently led a practically sleepwalking Dan into the other room. Then Arin went into the hall to retrieve some things from the linen closet. He returned with a bundle of blankets and several extra pillows which he dropped on the ground. 

"There," he said, after arranging them, seeming satisfied with his work. "I thought we could make like a big cushion pile for you on the floor. That seems like the only space big enough, I hope you don't mind. You can use the bean bags too, if you want. And also the comforter on the couch."

Dan nodded his thanks, too tired to even speak anymore. He practically collapsed on the welcoming pile of blankets and cushions, falling asleep almost instantly.

Arin smiled, quietly pulling the fluffy blanket off the couch and laying it on top of the giant. He wasn't sure about this whole bizarre turn of events in his life. But man was it interesting.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey, thanks for reading! 
> 
> I apologize if anything looks or sound wonky in this part or any other parts in the future. I'm writing this mostly pretty late at night because that's when I have time and when my inner critic goes to sleep :/
> 
> I hope to update this story at least semi-regularly, but we'll see what happens


	3. A Horrible Pun and a Rough Introduction

The next morning, Arin woke up early. He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep out of his eyes. Yawning, he squinted at the clock on his bedside table. It was 6:21am, too early. He groaned, flopping back onto the mattress. Despite the fact that he hadn't actually gotten much sleep last night, Arin knew there was no point in staying in bed. Once he was awake, there was no going back. He'd tried many times before. For some reason, this was becoming a regular thing for him. He stayed up too late working and then, when his sleep wasn't interrupted by strange dreams, it was light and restless.

But whatever. Who needed sleep, right?

Arin rolled out of bed with a sigh. He went through his morning routine quickly, washing away the lingering memories of the night with a splash of water. Shuffling down the quiet hall, he suddenly froze when he reached the living room. A large, dark shape was huddled in the middle of the floor. It slowly rose and fell in a deep, steady rhythm, as though it were breathing.

Oh, right.

The events of the night before rose to the forefront of his foggy mind. For a second he could hardly believe his own memories, despite the evidence that was literally right under his nose. It was all too fantastic. The events that had transpired that night seemed like something straight out of a book. Or a fanfiction, Arin supposed.

And yet, Dan was still there. Sleeping soundly. In his apartment. He hadn't dreamt it all... What was he supposed to do now?

The question was simple, and yet Arin was unsure. Obviously, he had to help the guy in any way he could. Dan was alone, starving, and severely lacking in the personal hygiene department. He couldn't just abandon him now and he didn't want to. But it wasn't like he could take him to a homeless shelter or something similar. Who knew how other people would react to the more... Unique aspect of his appearance. 

What was the right thing to do in this situation?

Honestly, Arin wasn't sure. The one thing he did know though, was that he was going to need some help. With a sigh, he pulled out his phone opening up a text conversation with Ross.

/you awake?/

Only a few minutes passed before Ross replied.

/ye. What's up?/

/man you would not believe what happened to me last night/

/Arin I don't care/

/I almost got mugged and murdered in a dark alleyway/

/that's terrible are you serious?/

/it's okay tho this giant came outa nowhere and scared em off/

/fuck you I was actually slightly concerned/

Arin snorted softly in amusement. After a moments hesitation, he pocketed the phone again. He would wait for Dan to wake up before taking that conversation any further.

After one last glance at Dan's large, sleeping form, Arin moved to the kitchen. He opened the fridge only to recall that he had yet to go to the store and buy more food. Sighing deeply at the sight, Arin was about to turn away when he spotted something shoved in the back corner of the fridge. He pulled it out to discover a full carton of eggs. They were still good, too. A grin spread across Arin's face.

'Eggcellent'

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dan awoke from a deep, dreamless slumber to the welcoming smell of something cooking. He sat up slowly, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and yawning. Sleep had not been such a relaxing thing for him for a long time. Not since- well, he wasn't quite sure. And he found that he did not want to think about it. He stretched his arms over his head, trying to shake the lingering tired cobwebs from his mind. But, he was surprised when his hands hit something hard above him. Dan blinked owlishly up at the ceiling, slowly remembering exactly where he was.

A loud clatter and a string of muffled curses brought his attention back down. The kitchen light was on and it was from there that the enticing smell of food wafted. Following his empty stomach, dan moved to the kitchen to see what was up.

Arin was balancing precariously on one foot in the middle of the room, rubbing his shin with a deep scowl on his face.

"Goddamn sonofabitch," he muttered, bending over to pick up the fork he had dropped.

Noticing Dan looming in the doorway, Arin smiled and straightened up.

"Morning. Sorry, I didn't wake you did I?" 

"N- no, not at all! I was awake b- before..." Dan stuttered, suddenly feeling awkward.

"Dude, relax. Do y'want any? I make some mean scrambled eggs."

Dan smiled, "that sounds amazing."

"Take a seat, then." Arin said as he pulled the skillet off the flames. He scraped the eggs onto a plate at the table as Dan sat down. 

"Aren't you gonna have some?" Dan asked before digging in.

"Nah, I'm good. Just need some coffee." Arin dumped the pan into the sink. Reaching into a cupboard, he pulled out two mugs. "Want some?"

"Maaaaybe...?"

"You've never had coffee before?"

Dan shook his head.

"Oh, well then, you've gotta try it. It's the elixir of life after all."

He filled up both mugs, setting one in front of Dan before taking a seat at the table across from him. Dan eyed the black liquid suspiciously before carefully picking up the cup. It was so small compared to his hands and he did not want to break it. He brought it up to his nose and inhaled the rich aroma. Surprised by how good it smelled, Dan immediately took a large gulp. He sputtered and gagged the moment the strong, black coffee hit his tongue.

"Aw, dude! That's fucking nasty," Dan made a fact into the mug of disappointment before looking up at Arin.

Arin busted out laughing at Dan's reaction, "I suppose it's kind of an acquired taste. You can put stuff in it to make it taste better, like milk or sugar. Do y'want to try it like that?"

Frowning at the mug once more, Dan slowly put it down. "No thank you, I think I've had quite enough of that."

Arin nodded in understanding, sipping from his own mug. They sat in companionable silence for a while after that. Dan finished off the rest of his eggs and Arin drank his coffee. It wasn't until Dan was down to his last few bites that Arin decided to bring up a certain subject.

"Hey, so, uuuuhhhh... I have this friend, he's really cool. And I think he could help you. Or help me help you, y'know, just kinda help out in general? If it's alright with you, I was gonna ask him to come over."

A look bordering on fear crossed over Dan's face as Arin spoke. He considered his words carefully before speaking.

"I dunno, I mean, I'm not very... I'd really rather not have any more people knowing about me."

"Hey, I totally understand. If you really don't want to, I'm not going to press anything. But, there's not a whole lot I can do for you on my own."

"You don't have to do anything for me!"

"But I want to."

Dan expected Arin to laugh, to say any second that he was simply joking. But he didn't even crack a smile. Arin was dead serious about this. Shocked, Dan simply stared at him for a long moment. He couldn't believe it. He'd known Arin for less then a day now and he'd already helped him so much. And he was still offering to help him even more. Who was this man?

Finally, Dan found his voice again, "I guess, if you trust him..."

"I do," Arin nodded, "he's one of my closest friends."

"Then I'll trust you," Dan said decidedly. 

Arin grinned widely, "awesome." Then he pulled out his phone to start texting again. "Lemme snap a picture of you really quick so I can get him over here."

"Picture?" Dan asked, unsure. 

"Yeah, just hold still for one second, aaaand..." Holding his phone up, Arin aimed it at Dan. There was a small clicking sound and he put it down again with a triumphant look, "Perfect."

"What is it?" 

At the eager question, Arin turned his phone to show Dan the screen. Dan had to lean forward and squint a little to see the small surface, but when he realized what it was his eyes lit up with wonder.

"But that's me. How'd you do that?"

"Through the magic of technology, my friend," Arin replied half jokingly. 

As he busily tapped out a message to Ross, Arin didn't notice the look of shock on Dan's face at his words. Dan, for his part, couldn't believe Arin had just called him a friend. Although it had simply been a casual remark for Arin, to Dan it was almost a foreign concept. It filled his chest with a warmth that was so unfamiliar. It made him happy. He watched Arin now with a new sort of amazement.

Arin broke out laughing at Ross's response to the photo before typing a reply.

/that's some shitty photoshop Hanson/

/come over here and see for yourself. And bring the truck/

~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Dan and Arin were still in the kitchen when Ross arrived. He let himself in (he'd gotten his hands on a spare key when Arin first moved in. Arin wasn't sure how, but he'd long since accepted it), announcing his presence loudly. 

"Alright, Arin, I'm here. You got me." As Ross talked, he moved towards the kitchen where he knew Arin would be. "Now let me in on the joke, because I really don't..."

His sentence trailed off when he turned the corner. Staring at the scene before him, Ross's expression changed from confusion to shock and then to some sort of mixture of fear and panic that made his face turn beet-red. 

There was a giant. In Arin's apartment. Sitting at Arin's table. An actual honest-to-god can't-possibly-be-real giant.

What the fuck??

"Yo," Arin broke the silence with a wave at Ross.

It took a moment of incoherent sputtering before Ross found the words to reply with. "Don't you 'yo' me, Arin Joseph Hanson. What the fuck is this?!"

"I'm Dan," Dan helpfully supplied, a bit too enthusiastically. He was nervously glancing between Ross and Arin, hating the fact that he was the cause of any sort of trouble. 

Ross could only gawk at him in disbelief.

"You saw the picture I sent you, right?" Arin asked innocently.

At this question, Ross turned his incredulous stare on Arin. "B- but that was- I mean- aw, c'mon man, you knew for a fact I would think that was bullshit!"

"I knew it would get you over here," Arin pointed out. "Did you bring the truck like I asked?"

"How can you be so calm about this??"

Arin stood suddenly, surprising both Ross and Dan. He approached Ross, gently taking his arm and leading him back out into the living room.

"Hey, are you okay?" He asked in a hushed voice so Dan wouldn't hear.

"No!" Ross hissed back, "no, I mean- shit, I don't know! This is a lot to take in, man."

"I know. But I need you to calm down. I called you here for a reason. And that's because I need your help." Arin spoke slowly and clearly, trying to get his point across.

After a minute and several deep breaths, Ross seemed to visibly relax.

"So... What you were texting me earlier, it was all true? He really saved your life." 

"Yup," Arin nodded.

A steely, determined look crept into Ross's eyes. "Okay, what do you need me for?"

Arin sighed in relief. Finally, he was ready to help.

"I'm not even sure, man. I just kinda wanted a second opinion? This whole situation's, a little overwhelming. I mean, he needs help. And I want to get him that help. I'm just, not sure what the best way to go about it is..."

Ross nodded, "okay, I can't say I have much of an opinion about all this right now but-"

"Just talk to him," Arin interrupted. "Give him the ole 'O'Donovan charm' or something, I don't know. Just, get to know him a little first."

Ross agreed and the two of them returned to the kitchen where a very nervous, and slightly frightened, Dan was waiting. After Ross made a sincere apology to Dan for earlier, he took a seat at the table. Arin went to pour another cup of coffee while Ross tried to strike up a conversation with Dan. It was awkward at first, but became less so once they were all seated again. Dan was more comfortable with Arin present and Ross was good at talking and getting information out of people without making it seem like an interrogation. They quickly found out that subjects like family and Dan's past were off limits, and respected that. Ross easily moved the conversation to other topics. They learned of Dan's deep respect for nature and all living things. His love for music, although Dan hadn't listened to a lot, was something else they talked about. For Ross, Dan's lack of knowledge and experience with even basic technologies was a source of endless entertainment.

They talked and joked and laughed for a good long while. Long enough for Dan to loosen up a bit and let his true personality shine through, even just a little. During a lull in the conversation, however, nature called and Dan had to excuse himself. Since he was too large to fit in Arin's bathroom, he had to go outside. This gave Arin and Ross a chance to talk alone.

"So, what do you think?" Arin asked, a little apprehensively.

Ross shrugged, "he seems like a really great guy. And, yeah, I think we should help in out however we can."

"I already knew that, genius."

"Well, I dunno, man. I've been thinking about it and, I guess we could take him to my place. I know Holly would love to help. We could get him cleaned up, I've got that king-sized bathtub that might work. But as for a more long-term solution? I'm not sure."

"It's a start," Arin said, smiling. "Let's get going while the day is young."

They headed outside to look for Dan. It was still pretty early and there was a light fog settled on the streets. To pass the time, the two of them hung around Ross's truck (which he did actually bring). Arin climbed into the back to try and estimate if it would be big enough.

When Dan returned, he was surprised to find them waiting for him. It took a bit of convincing to get him to agree to their plan, but in the end he was glad he did. 

For the first time in a long time, Dan was excited for what the future held in store for him. Excited and happy.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. I haven't been able to write much due to medical reasons and just the stress of college in general ehehe... :/
> 
> The next chapter might take a while as well. I want to try and build up a buffer so I don't fall behind again.
> 
> Thanks for your patience and for taking the time to read this. I honestly wasn't expecting anybody to read this fic, much less enjoy it :P So thank you <3


	4. A Cat and New Clothes

The ride to Ross's place was cramped and uncomfortable for Dan. He had to lie down in the truck bed, curled up so no one would see him. There was an old tarp rolled up under the backseat that they used to cover him up, just in case. However, given the cramped conditions, Dan felt every bump and dip and quick stop quite well. 

Thankfully, they didn't have far to drive. Dan soon felt the truck slow to a final stop as Ross pulled into his driveway. He was a bit nervous getting out of the truck at first, but a quick look around assured him that there was no one else in the vicinity. Even so, he was still feeling a bit high-strung. He watched as Ross unlocked his garage and pulled the door up and open. 

"It'll be easier to get in this way," he explained. "The door in here's bigger than the front one."

Dan followed him and Arin into the large space. Dan was amazed by just how much /stuff/ was in there. It was crowded with all sorts of miscellaneous objects and half-finished projects. Even still, there seemed to be some sort of arbitrary arrangement to it all, though a somewhat chaotic one. The garage was also quite large and most of the stuff was piled up along the walls so there was space to move around. 

Ross hesitated a moment at the door leading inside the house.

"Wait here a minute, lemme just make sure we don't have any birds loose." Was all he said before disappearing through the door.

Dan gave Arin a rather befuddled look.

"Oh, Holly likes birds," was all Arin offered by way of an explanation.

Deciding it probably wasn't something he needed to worry about, Dan left it at that.

Ross returned soon after this exchange, swinging the door wide to welcome his guests. "Okay, we're all good," he announced. "C'mon in and make yourselves at home."

Arin went in without hesitation, but Dan couldn't help but hang back a bit. He was anxious about meeting yet /another/ person. Ross and Arin had gotten him to agree easily enough. After all, he'd already consented to meeting Ross, how much worse would one more human be? He took a deep breath, willing his racing heart to calm the fuck down. This 'Holly' person didn't sound so bad, and he wasn't doing himself any favors just standing in the garage. With as much determination as he could possibly muster, Dan entered the house.

Or, at least he tried. He got a bit stuck in the doorway, despite what Ross said about it being bigger. Arin, noticing his plight, went back to help him. While they were trying to figure that out, a new voice could be heard from another room.

"Ross? Is that you?"

Just as Dan managed to get his large frame through the door, Holly appeared from around a corner.

"Ross, what's going on? I though that-" She stopped dead in her tracks at the sight before her.

Seconds ticked by in silence and the tension in the room grew. Arin stood quietly next to Dan, who was waiting in nervous anticipation for whatever might come. Ross was a few feet away from them, the look on his face was that of a man expecting a sharp blow or something similar. Holly simply stared in slack-jawed amazement at Dan's towering form. Finally, she broke the silence, slowly turning towards her husband.

"Roooooss..."

"Yes, honey?" He answered tentatively.

"What's going on here?" 

"Ah, well, you see, I- I called you about this earlier-"

"No no no no no," she quickly interrupted him, her voice taking on an accusatory tone. "/You/ talked to me about taking in some homeless guy that Arin had picked up. Not- not..." Holly gestured towards Dan, suddenly at a lose for words when facing him again.

"/This/" she hissed, rounding on Ross again.

Ross threw his hands up defensively, "hey, c'mon Holly! Would you've believed me if I'd told you?? Just been like, 'oh, hey, I'm also bringing a freaking /giant/ into our home, how does that sound?'"

"You could have said /something/!"

While they argued, Arin and Dan exchanged awkward looks. Arin simply shrugged so Dan figured it might be best to just let them be for now. With a heavy sigh, he settled himself into a sitting position on the floor. It was more comfortable than standing all hunched over because the ceiling was too low. Just as he stopped moving, he noticed a black cat standing in the other room eyeing him curiously. Before he knew it, the cat was moving. It darted in between the arguing couple and slowed to a stop directly in front of Dan. Surprised, Dan smiled. He held his hand out to the cat. It sniffed him intently before uttering a very loud meow. Cautious at first, Dan gently stroked the cat's black fur. It purred happily in return.

Dan was so pleased the cat was allowing him to pet it he didn't even notice the others had grown quiet watching him.

Seeing this interaction play out, Holly's face softened. She took a few steps towards them and crouched down in front of Dan.

"He's not usually so friendly with strangers," she observed.

The cat was now rubbing himself against Dan's legs, still purring.

"Really?" Dan giggled, looking up at Holly with a doofy grin on his face.

Holly smiled back, "yeah, that's Orph. He doesn't even like Arin all that much." They both looked at Arin, who simply made a face and shrugged again. "So, this is kinda... Weird."

"I'm pretty good with animals, I guess," Dan offered. "I'm Dan, by the way."

"Oh! I'm Holly," she smiled, rubbing the back of her head a little awkwardly. "It's nice to meet you, really. Sorry about the yelling, I just... You weren't really what I was expecting." She shot a glare at Ross who was doing his best to look innocent.

"That's okay, I'm not sure there are many humans who would expect someone like me." He smiled and shrugged a little, quickly turning his full attention back to petting Orph.

Holly studied him for a moment. He was big, that much was certainly true, but he didn't seem dangerous. It seemed to her, now that she'd actually spoken with him, that he was just a normal person. Well, maybe not 'normal,' but that didn't really matter. Did it?

"Well... If Orph likes you," Holly said, having made up her mind, "then I like you."

Dan looked at her, surprised. A huge grin spread across his face.

"Oh, so the fact that I like him means nothing to you." Arin piped up jokingly.

She looked up at him, smiling, a mischievous glint in her eye. "I'd trust an animal's instincts over yours any day, Arin."

They all laughed at that, letting the tension drain away. The mood in the room had lightened considerably, which was a huge relief to the small group. Holly stood then, ready to take charge of the situation.

"Alright, well, I assume you came here for a reason."

Ross raised his hand and spoke up a little tentatively, "ah, I thought, maybe, he could use the bathroom to wash up, and, well...." He trailed off when Holly gave him a look, letting him know he was not off the hook yet.

She sighed, turning away from her sheepish husband to smile at Dan. "Well, that's a start. C'mon, I'll show you how to run the bath."

Holly started to move further into the house, but Dan stopped her. "Wait! I- I'm sorry, I don't want to be any trouble."

"It's fine, really. No trouble at all." She reassured him.

Dan glanced at Arin, who nodded, patting Dan's shoulder lightly in an encouraging manner. With a slightly more relaxed look, Dan stood and moved to follow Holly.

"Ross, bring me the stash of towels. Y'know, the old beach ones." Holly called over her shoulder as they left. 

When they reached the bathroom, Dan was surprised by how big it was. It was certainly much larger than Arin's, and that was his only frame of reference. He could fit in this one at any rate. As Holly walked him through how to work the tub and showed him what soaps he could use, Dan paid close attention. He found he liked listening to her. Holly was nice and talked a lot, and didn't seem to mind at all what he was anymore. Dan couldn't believe how many people he'd met in such a short time. It might have been just three, but all three of them were giving him a chance.

/But did he really deserve that?/

Before he could dwell on that dark thought, Ross appeared, carrying a bundle of somewhat worn beach towels in his arms. Holly put some on the ground around the tub, just in case it overflowed a bit. The others she left on the counter for Dan to dry off with.

"Okay, me and Arin are going to go get you some knew clothes." Holly explained, "So just, take your time and they'll be waiting for you out here when you're done. If you need anything, just shout for Ross."

"Thank you," Dan said. And he really meant it.

Once Ross and Holly had left, Dan closed the door and pulled off his old clothes before slipping into the tub. The water was nice, and warm, and had Dan instantly relaxing. It had been a while since he'd done anything about his personal hygiene. Normally, he would just take a swim in whatever body of water he came across, but those were few and far between. They were also generally icy cold, unless he happened to be passing through a warmer climate.

But now here he was. He had warm water at his fingertips, a roof over his head, and really nice people who actually wanted to help him. What did he do to deserve that?

~~~~~~~~~~

Arin found himself lost in thought, staring at the racks of clothes in their local JCPennys. They looked a bit odd, what with Holly's pastel pink hair and petite style and Arin's brooding exterior as they browsed the XXL sections. But Arin didn't mind, he had long given up caring about what other people thought. However, Holly soon noticed that something was on his mind. 

"Are you alright, Arin?" She asked kindly when all he did was nod again at the third shirt she had shown him.

"Of course," he answered quickly, "why wouldn't I be?"

"You just seem distracted." Holly gave him a searching look, wanting to know what was up.

Arin sighed, his shoulders drooping. He felt like his fucked up sleep schedule was catching up to him all at once in a wave of heavy exhaustion. "I've just got... Stuff on my mind, I guess."

"Well that's understandable," Holly said, crossing her arms and turning her full attention to him. "Do you wanna talk about it?"

"I'm wondering what the others are gonna think. How they're going to react. If he'll even agree to meet them, and what if he doesn't? Or what if he does and they..." Arin frowned, not wanting to voice the fears he'd had since Dan first agreed to meet Ross. "I just... Want this to go right, y'know?"

Holly nodded, thinking a moment before answering. "Well, we can't know the future. We can only take this one step at a time." She put a comforting hand on his arm, "I can tell you this, though, it'll all work out. Have a little faith our friends."

Arin groaned and dragged a hand over his face, "I know, I know. I just can't help but worry..."

Holly nodded in understanding. They tried to go back to shopping to distract themselves. Arin made a concentrated effort to focus on the task at hand, but it was clear he was still struggling. So, Holly asked him how he met Dan in the first place. Ross's text hadn't offered many details after all. Arin was unsure at first, but once he started recounting the events that led up to that moment, he couldn't help but become more animated. The bit where he almost got murdered in a dark alley was when he really got into it. Holly was a great listener, gasping and laughing in all the right places. They were finished shopping by the time he finished the tale. After checking out, they walked back to the car in silence. Before driving away, Holly spoke up;

"If anyone has any doubts, you should tell them that story. It'd make anyone willing to give him a chance."

Arin smiled at her, "Really? You don't think it sounds made up?"

"Well of course it sounds made up," she laughed, before quickly becoming serious again. "But after everything that's happened today, I'll believe anything."

~~~~~~~~

When Dan was finished in the bath, he quickly toweled off. Wrapping one around his waist, he went to the door and carefully peeked outside. There was no one around so Dan opened the door fully and looked around. He found the promised new clothes in a neatly folded pile on a chair. With a small smile, he scooped them up and retreated back into the bathroom. Dan dressed in a hurry, the unfamiliar fabric felt strange, but not unpleasant. The clothing wasn't extravagant, just some grey sweatpants and a black t-shirt. They were large enough that he was able to pull them on with ease, however, they were still made for people much shorter than him and so didn't fit quite perfectly.

Dan didn't care, though. They were clean and new and given to him freely, there was no way he could see them as anything but perfect.

Looking at himself in the mirror, Dan smiled at his reflection. He looked so different already. The mop on his head that was his hair and his beard were a bit longer than he was comfortable with, but aside from that he actually felt a lot better about himself. He still didn't understand why all these good things were happening too him. At this point, he was just waiting for everything to go horribly wrong. But that was later. Now, he had to do his best to show how grateful he was to these people he had been so fortunate to meet.

For now, that was enough.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait. Also sorry if this seems like first draft material, bc it is. I hate rereading my own work, which I know is a bad habit, but that's just how I roll rn. 
> 
> This chapter was going to be longer, but I thought it might be better to split into two chapters. I figured I've kept you guys waiting long enough...
> 
> Next chapter Dan meets Barry and Suzy! I'm looking forward to writing that so hopefully I'll get it done faster.
> 
> Anyway, hope you enjoy. Thanks for reading <3


	5. Suzy and Barry

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Sorry for the long wait.

Dan emerged from the back of the house a bit hesitantly. Now that he was clean and wearing a fresh set of clothes, he felt more exposed somehow. He was nervous all over again to face these new people as something bearing the resemblance of a civilized being. But the fact remained he was different. No matter how neat his appearance, what he was would always stick out like a sore thumb.

He needn't have worried though. As soon as he came into sight of the kitchen/dining area, he was greeted cheerfully by the others. Ross and Arin were sitting at the small table eating lunch, and Holly seemed to be setting something up on the kitchen counters.

"Hey Dan!" Arin called, waving him over. "C'mon and eat something. We brought subway." He smiled encouragingly as Dan continued to hover like a frightened deer.

"Yeah, it's really good, dude. You'll like it." Ross mumbled around a mouthful of sandwich.

Holly quickly moved the chairs away from one side of the table so Dan could kneel in front of it. He did so, carefully, making sure he didn't upset anything in the process. When he was settled, Arin slid a large paper bag over to him. Dan opened it carefully, staring down inside at the contents. There were at least half a dozen foot-long sandwiches held within. Dan stared between Arin and Ross, dumbfounded by the amount of food they'd freely offered him.

"We didn't know what you liked, so we got you a variety." Arin said with a grin.

"Thank you," Dan murmured, a little disbelief leaking into his tone.

"Dig in, man," Arin prompted gently, noticing his hesitation. "It won't bite."

Dan swallowed his nerves and took out the first sandwich. He pulled the paper wrap off of it almost reverently. When he finally moved it to his mouth a bit in, he noticed the others watching him. He realized in shock that they were waiting for his approval, wondering if he liked the food. Chewing quickly, he swallowed and grinned.

"Holy shit this is amazing!" Dan gushed, "I haven't had food this good in ages."

The three humans exchanged triumphant smiles, pleased by their success. Then Arin gave him a mock frown.

"What? The food at my place wasn't great?" He asked.

There was a playful jokingness behind his words, but Dan was unsure how he should react. Luckily, he didn't have too.

"Oh please," Ross shot back at Arin, "I've been to your place and anything's better than fucking cereal and cheese-its."

Everyone burst out laughing at this. Even Dan joined in, though he stifled his guffaws behind a hand. The conversation around the table flowed easily after that. The three humans did their best to include Dan, but he was content to observe mostly. The atmosphere there was so light and happy. He felt so at ease. Slowly, Dan felt his nerves and worries slip away as he finished off the last of the food.

As everyone was finishing up their lunch, Dan noticed Arin watching him. He had the look of a man considering something. Feeling awkward at the scrutiny, Danny gave him a questioning look.

"What is it?" He asked.

Arin shook his head, not realizing he was staring. "Oh, I was just wondering," he began with a sheepish smile. "Would you, wanna meet the rest of the crew?"

Dan swallowed nervously, his throat suddenly dry. More people? Sure, so far things had gone surprisingly well, but...

"Hey yeah, that would be great!" Ross spoke up with a grin at Dan. "Suzy's super nice, and Barry too. They'll love you! And Brian would be thrilled if he decided to stop by."

Danny smiled wanly at Ross's reassurance, but hesitated still in replying. Thankfully, he didn't have to come to a decision right then and there.

"Before any of that, though," Holly interjected pointedly, "Dan might want to get cleaned up a bit more?"

Dan blinked at her, confused.

"I used to work at a hair salon." Holly explained with a smile, "that, and with all the cosplaying, I've gotten pretty good at styling hair. I set up some stuff if you want a quick shave and a trim."

Some of those terms Dan had never heard before, but he got the gist of what she was saying. Now that he thought about it, it had been a while since he'd last been able to cut his hair. Suddenly self-conscious, he ran a hand through the tangled mess on top of his head.

"You do kinda look like an overgrown sheep, dude." Arin pointed out with a grin.

Dan laughed, finally nodding to Holly in acceptance of her offer. It was a strange experience, letting someone else take care of him like this, but it wasn't horribly awkward. Dan just sat in the middle of the kitchen and let Holly do her thing. Ross and Arin kept a conversation flowing, significantly distracting him. Before he knew it, it was over, and Holly held a mirror proudly before his eyes.

Dan stared at his reflection in shock. "That- that's... me?" 

Holly's eyes softened and she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. "It sure is, there was quite a handsome man under all that hair."

Dan nodded silently, barely hearing her. She handed the mirror over to him in order to start clearing up the mess and he took it wordlessly. Turning his head this way and that, Dan could hardly believe the person behind the glass was him. He looked so different, it was strange. But not unpleasant.

"Well, whaddaya think?"

Danny looked past the mirror at the sound of Arin's voice. The other man was smiling at him and before he knew it, Dan was grinning back.

"Dude, I barely recognize myself!" He gazed down at the mirror again. "It's amazing."

"You ready to head out then?" Arin asked, a hopeful gleam in his eye.

"To meet more of your friends, right?"

Arin nodded, "if you want."

Dan took one last look at himself before nodding, a new determination steeling his nerves.

~~~~~

The trip to the office was uneventful. It was still cramped in the back of the truck for Dan, but he managed. Since it was later in the day he was even more concerned about getting seen by random humans. Thankfully, he needn't have worried, the office wasn't located in a particularly busy area.

When the truck was parked and the others gave him the all-clear, dan climbed out of the vehicle. He got a brief glimpse of the tall building, before he was quickly ushered within. 

The inside of the office, or the "grumps space" as the others called it, was large. After being led down a short hallway, dan was awed by the sight of the large room before him. Against one wall were several desks, but almost every other wall was covered in shelves stacked with /things/. So many thing he didn't recognize, that he had no frame of reference for, it was overwhelming. He had no idea what anything in this place was for, or how it was used. It was jarring, to say the least.

He didn't have much time to recover when they were approached by someone new. A woman with dark hair and dark clothes to match. She was introduced to him as Suzy, Dan smiled shyly, feeling a bit like a deer caught out in the open. Suzy, for her part, gawked openly.

"THIS is Dan??" She asked incredulously.

"Yup" Arin replied. 

"You can't exactly miss him," Ross quipped.

"When you said 'giant,' Arin, I expected maybe 7 feet tall, but..." she held her hand above her head, estimating seven feet, then compared it to Dan. It didn't even come close.

"Nope," Arin said, trying to suppress his laughter. "When I mentioned giant, I ah, I meant giant."

Suzy made a face at him before turning back to Dan.

"Well, it's nice to meet you, Dan. Sorry if I'm a bit, shocked. This is just... a lot to take in."

"Don't worry about. Believe me, I know exactly how you feel." Dan laughed nervously while gesturing to their surroundings.

"Oh! You've never been in the grump office before? We can show you around. It's nothing terribly fancy." Suzy offered with a bright smile.

"Yeah, we can give you the tour," Arin chimed in, "explain how things work, it's pretty cool."

Dan quickly agreed. Though he was nervous, he was also very curious. The others encouraged him to ask questions, no matter how silly, so he ended up learning a lot about video games, computers and consoles, various trivia on culture, and beanbags. They even introduced him to the wonders of refrigerated beverages and indoor plumbing. After the tour was over, they all settled down to talk on various cliches and cushions. 

Dan fell silent while the others talked. He was definitely more at ease in this environment now, but he felt off somehow. It was all still so new, and different, he felt out of place. 

Feeling a sudden urge to get some fresh air, Dan quietly excused himself. He rose to open the door. It took him a second to unlatch the lock built for much smaller hands, but he managed. He felt a ridiculous swell of accomplishment as the door swung open. However, his smile quickly melted away when he looked up, eyes locking onto those of a man standing just outside.

He was carrying a backpack and a couple of shopping bags hung from his arms. It seemed he was struggling with a ring of keys which had caused him to hesitate at the door. A brown paper bag was also hanging from his mouth, where he apparently had stowed it to free up his hands.

At the sight of Dan, his eyes went wide and the bag fell from his mouth. He barely managed to scramble and catch it, only to drop his keys in the process. 

"Ah," his gaze traveled up and down Dan's tall frame. "Aahhh, um..." His keys seemed to have been forgotten.

"I'm sorry, is this the wrong address?" His voice wavered from shock.

Before Dan could answer him, he looked away in horror at a sudden realization. "Holy shit I come here every day did I really fuck up that bad?"

Thankfully, just then Arin decided to come over and see what was going on. He peaked around Dan and grinned. "Ah, there you are Barry. C'mon in, don't mind him," he gave Dan's arm a pat at his final remark.

Dan quickly moved to the side to give him room. The guy looked extremely relieved to see Arin and nodded to him before shuffling in. He placed the bags on the table a little further in, casting a furtive glance back at Dan as though not sure what he saw was real. The others gathered soon after and Dan looked on curiously at their interactions.

Suzy thanked Barry for doing the shopping while Ross and Holly started putting things away in the kitchen area. Barry was soon waving Ross off the smaller brown bag, claiming whatever food was inside as his own.

"You're not planning on staying here all night again, are you?" Arin asked, crossing his arms.

"No, what could possibly make you think that?" Barry replied innocently.

Arin nodded pointedly at the backpack leaning innocuously against the wall. Shrugging, Barry began to give some excuse. They seemed to fall into a conversation and Dan stopped listening in. He bit his lip and turned away, wondering what it must be like to be a part of a group like that. Fitting himself through the door, he was about to leave when he noticed something glint on the floor. Dan looked closer, it was Barry's keys. They were lying on the ground just outside the doorway, right where he'd dropped them. Picking them up carefully between his large fingers, Dan turned around.

"Barry?" The name rolled off his tongue almost naturally.

He saw the man turn at the sound of his name, and then his eyes went wide again seeing Dan. Barry sent a furtive glance at Arin, who nodded in response. Looking a bit worried, Barry jogged over.

"Yeah?" It was obvious he was extremely nervous.

Dan, who was sitting back on his knees so as not to seem so looming, was also very nervous. He was getting a little used to people, but he desperately wanted to make a good first impression. All that stood between them was an open doorway, but in that moment, it almost seemed like a concrete wall. 

"Y- you dropped these," Dan extended his arm, offering him his keys back.

Barry's eyes softened in a smile. "Thanks, man," he took them back, slipping them into his pocket.

Dan shrugged to show it was no trouble. Hesitating just long enough to feel very awkward, he quickly turned to leave. He was stopped, however, by Barry's hand on his arm.

"Hey," Barry swiftly removed his hand when he noticed Dan's surprised look. He cleared his throat before continuing. "We, uh, haven't really been introduced."

Dan blinked, too taken aback to say anything.

"I'm Barry."

"I know," Dan replied automatically.

"Ehh, Barry Kramer then," he said with a grin.

"Dan," he conceded. Then, after a second, "Avidan."

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Dan Avidan."

"Likewise," Dan smiled. Then, at last, he was able to leave.

~~~~~

When Dan returned, feeling more refreshed, he hesitated at the closed door. Back in that place, their were /people/. People who knew about him. They knew what he was, that he was different, potentially dangerous even, and yet. And yet they were kind to him. In the short time he'd known them, he could tell they were good people. Ross may have been a rough start, understandably. But he'd warmed up to Dan quickly enough. Holly was just about the sweetest person Dan had ever met. And Suzy, she'd seemed genuinely interested in anything Dan had to say. Even Barry, although wary at first, had wanted to introduce himself. This was more social interaction in a couple of days than Dan had had in a long time.

For a moment, he was overwhelmed. His head rested against the rough grain of the door, suddenly an impossible barrier. But then he heard a muffled laugh from the other side. A loud, hearty guffaw. Arin's laugh. And suddenly there was nowhere else he wanted to be but in there laughing along-side him.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey guys, thanks for sticking with me for so long. I'm sorry this is all I have for you and that it took such a ridiculously long time to write. I'm really disappointed in myself for dropping the ball on this for so long. BUT! I hope you enjoy it at least ^__^  
> Unfortunately, I'm gonna have to put this fic on an indefinite hiatus until, well, I don't really know :/ I have my reasons for this and I hope you will understand. See you in the next fic 
> 
> Thanks for reading! <3


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